Device for loading and unloading vessels



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. BACOI.

DEVICE FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING VESSELS. No. 260,924.

Patented July 1 1, 1882.

INVEQNTOR Q26,

WITNE-SSE 3 N PETERS mum, Wat-um D. c.

(No Model. 4 Sheets.-Sheet 2.

G. BACCI.

DEVIGE POR LOADING AND UNLOADING VBSELS. No. 260,924. f Patented July 11, 1882.

( No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet. 3.

' G. BAOCI.

DEVICE FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING VBSSELS.

No. 260,924. Patented July 11. 1882.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet, 4. G. BAGGI.

LOADING AND UNLOADING VESSELS.

DEVICE run Patented July 11, 1882.

NVENTOR WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

GIAMPAOLO BACCI, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,924, dated July 11, 1882. Application tiled June 2 1882. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gumuono Baccr, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loading and Unloading Vessels, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to expedite and economize the loading and unloading of vessels, and to reduce the liability of breakage or injury of the cases or packages of freight in said operations. I

To this end my improvements consist in a novel method of simultaneously delivering a series of cases to a carriage traveling upon a suspended track-beam,releasing the cases from said carriage, simultaneously delivering them to a truck, and conveying them to a desired point of deposit; also, in certain devices and combinations embracing a delivery-truck, a lifter, a track-beam, engaging and disengaging mechanism, an adjustable trackand a stowing-truclr', all as hereinafter more fully set "forth. T

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective illustrating the loading of a vessel by my invention; Fig. 2, aside view, in elevation, of the lifter; Fig. 3, an end view of the same when closed to retain its load; Fig: 4, a similar view of the same when opened to deliver its load; Fig. 5, a longitudiual'section through the delivery-truck; Fig. 6,9. plan view of the same; Fig. 7, a side view, in elevation, of the stowing-truck; Fig. 8, a plan view of the same; Fig. 9, a side view, in elevation, of the track-beam and its traveling carrings; Fig. 10, a transverse section, on an en'- larged scale,- through the track-beam, showing the hoisting-rope attachments; Fig. ll, a similar section, showing an end view of the traveling carriage; Fig. 12, an end view of the track-beam as seen from the right; Fig. 13, a side view, showing the manner of connecting the carriage with the hoisting-ropes of the lifter at the receiving end of the beam; and Fig. 14, a similar view, showing the manner of connecting the carriage and the hoisting-ropes at the discharge end of the beam.

Miinvention is herein shown as applied-to the transfer of a series of cases or packages, u, from warehouse, A, t0 the old of a vessel,

out specific description.

7 A stationary track-beam, l 3, having ways or tracks b for the passage of a carriage on its upper side, is suspended in such adjusted positiou as to have its discharging end above,

and in convenient proximity to one. of the hatches, a, of the vessel to be loaded. In the instance shown the track-beam B is connected by slings b to the rigging of the vessel; but, if preferred, it may be supported bya post on the wharf in'the manner of the arm of a crane. A series of transverse openings, b, is formed in the beam adjacent to its receiving end, for the insertion of the pin b, which supports the bearing boi the hoisting-rope sheaves b, and to which the arms 11 for the connectionof the suspending-sling are connected. The receiving and of the track-beam is to be suspended at a greater elevation than its discharging end, to admitof the traverse of the carriage or traveler by its own gravity when carrying its load of freight to the vessel. The discharging end of the beam is supported by arms 1:, connected to a pin, b. i

A carriage or traveler, C, is supported, so as to be capable of free movement upon the tracks of the beam, by a pair of rollers, c, and e a pair of sheaves, c, are mounted in hearings -inthe carriage below the track-beam, at such distance apart as to be in line transversely with the hoisting-rope sheaves b, which rotate in bearings secured to the track-beam below the suspending-arms b of its receiving end. A pair of carrying-hooks, c, are pivoted on the shaft :9 of the sheaves c, the tendency of said hooks being to hang in an inclined position therefrom, as shown in Fig. 14, except. when rocked upon the shaft 6. The hoisting-ropes D, which are attached to the liiten'presently to be described, pass around the sheaves c and b, and are led to a suitable hoisting-englue upon the wharf. A transverse bar, d, connects the hoisting-ropes, and is engaged by the carrying-hooks 0 when swung into the position shown in Fig. 13, in which case the weight suspended upon the hoisting-ropes is sustained by the hooks c and carriage C. The engagement of the books 0 and Lair ll at the 5 e above the shaft 0, ,the opposite end of the tripping-lever being connected to an operating rope, d, and the books 0 are engaged-with the bar a at the discharging end of the beam, in order to return the carriage and lifter by a re trippin g-lever, d, pivoted to the beam 13 below its point of suspension, and operated bya cord, d, the lever d having a curved tongue, d, which bears against a bar connecting the hooks c at their upper ends, and by swing is ing the hooks upon the shall; 0 brings their lower ends into connection with the bar d. The carriage C is held stationary at the discharging end of the beam during the elevation of the hoisting-rope to the proper position for the engagement of the carrying-hooks and bar by a step, d, pivoted to one side of the beam, and having a tooth over which the adjacent roller cot the carriage rides on its disehargin g.traverse, said step preventing the backward traverse of thecarriage until released by the cord (2.

The cases a are moved from their positions in the warehouse to a point immediately below the line of the hoisting-rope, when the car- 0 riage 0 stands at the receiving end of the track-beam B, by a delivery-truck, E, Figs. 5 and 6, consisting of ah'orizontal framemounted on rollers a, and havinginciined waysorgnides at each of its ends, on which vertical clamping- 5 5 standards e" are fitted to slide longitudinally.

The standards a are held in position to embrace between them a. determined number of the boxes or cases of freight to be transferred by foot-levers e, pivoted on transverse bolts 40 on the frame of the truck, and having shoulders c, which engage cross-bars a on the vertical standards 6', and clamps or catches e on each side of the standards 0 bear against the sides of the cases adjacent t0them;and thereby con- 4 5 tribute additionally to preventing the displacement of the cases. When the truck is to be loaded the standards 0' are allowed to slide outwardly into the position as shownon the right of the figures by releasing the foot- 0 levers efrom the cross-bars dot the standards.

The cases are then piled upon the truck in desired number, and the standards pushed up to the position shown on the left of the figures, in which they are retained by the engagement of the foot-levers with the cross-bars. The loaded truck is then run out of the warehouse and brought under the hoisting-ropes D, to which is connected the lifter F, (shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4,) by which thecases are to be elevated.

The litter is composed of a main suspendingframe, f, having eyes f for the attachment of thehoisting-ropes, and havmgswmgmgframes f, pivoted to its ends at each side. The frames f are connected at top to the main frame f 6 'by springs f the tendency of which i t w inwardly the upperends of theswingin gframe's,

and thereby to admit of the release of the litter from a contained series of cases. Clamps or catchesf are secured to the end and bottom bars of the swinging frames f, and cushions j, of rubber or other yielding material, are fixed upon the ends of spring-armsj, projecting laterally from the central bar of the main framejl A facing, f, of rubber or analogous material, is also secured to the lower bars of the swinging frames. I

In operation the lifter, which will naturally assume the position shown in Fig. 4, is lowered and guided by the attendant until the main frame (its over the upper row of cases on the delivery-truck E and the cushions f bear npontlietopsoftheuises. Thcattendantsthen push the swinging frames inwardly against the casesuntil they assume the position shown in Fig. 3, and the lifter is closed on its load by the engagement of a projection, f, on the lower barof each swinging frame, with acatch, e, on the truck. The litter is then elevated by the hoisting-engine, and the weight of the cases being exerted upon the lifter before the projections f leave the catches e, the weight of the cases will prevent the opening of the lifter during its elevation and transfer by the carriage 0 along the track-beam,.and it will remain closed until automatically opened by contactwith the stowing-truck G, which is located in the hold of the vessel in readiness to receive the loaded lifter.

The stowing-truck'G consists of a horizontal frame mounted on flanged wheels g, which are adapted to run upon mils secured to portable and adjustable track-platforms H, laid in different positions, as required, in the hold of the vessel, so asto enable the truck to deliver its lead at any desired point therein. Pins g project from the frame of the truck and enter the lower tier of cases'to prevent their aceidental displacement in transit, and a pair of vertical standards, g, provided with side friction-rollers, g, are secured to the truck adjacent to one of its ends. I

The opening of theliiter F and its release from its lead of cases are effected by its contact with the friction-rollers on the standards of the stowing-truck. The lifter is stopped suspended a short distance above the truck-platform, and the stowing-truck is pushed beneath it, and in such position that the standards will enter between the swinging frames of the lifter, which is'then lowered until the lowest row of cases of its load rests upon the floor of the truck, when the swinging frames, being relieved from the weight of the load and being subject to the pressure of the friction-rollers on the truck-standards, will be acted on by the springs f", and the lifter will be consequently released from the cases, and is then elevated to receive another load in the hold.

it will tlius be seen that the cases of freight to be loaded are carried in uniform draft o leads by the delivery-truck to the lifter, and transported by the lifter and carriage of th track-bemn to a point in the hold of the vessel at which the lifter is automatically relea d from the cases. The lifter is elevated and returned toits original position in readiness to receive the next load, and the load already put on board is transported over the portable track-platforms'to the desired location of stowage.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-'- L'The improvement in the art of loading vessels, which consists in the following successive steps, to wit, simultaneously transferring a determined number of cases or packages from a place of storageto a litter, elevating said litter and its'load to a carriage traveling upon a track suspended above the deck of a vessel, releasingthe litter and its load from the carriage and lowering-them together into the hold of the vessel, and delivering the load from the lifter to a stowage-trnck, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a delivery-truck, a litter, an elevating device, a suspended trackbeam, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, mechanism for engaging and disengaging the lifter and carriage, and a stowage-truck, substantially as set forth.

substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a lifter having swinging frames, as described, a hoisting-rope, a suspended track-beam, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, and mechanism for engaging and disengaging the lifter and carriage, sub stantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a lifter having swing ing frames which supports load of cases or packages, and a stowage-truck having standards which release the lifter from the load,

5. The combination of a delivery-truck having movable clamping standards to receive a series of cases or packages, and a litter having swinging frames adapted to embrace and simultaneously remove said series from the truck, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a suspended trackbcam, a carriage adapted to travel thereon, elevating mechanism, and a stowage-truck traveling upon a portable track located in the hold of a ve substantially as set forth.

GIAMPAOLO BACCI.

Witnesses:

J. Snowmen BELL,- Gaoacn T. KELLY. 

